Convertible wet suits are known in the prior art. Such wet suits allow the user to convert a full length wet suit into a short-length wet suit, and vice versa, in accordance with ambient water temperature conditions.
All such convertible wet suits require some sort of joint mechanism for detachably joining an extended sleeve or legging to a short sleeve or short legging. One common type of prior-art joint structure is the provision of a 360 degree zipper surrounding the interface between the short sleeves and short leggings of the wet suit and the detachably connectible extended sleeves and leggings. In another prior art design, a zipper is provided along the longitudinal axis of the short sleeves and short legs of the wet suit so that the outer ends of the short sleeves and legs may be widened to receive a coupling portion of the extended sleeves and leggings, and then closed around the coupling portion.
Unfortunately, such prior art joint designs are not without shortcomings. While a joint structure that employs a 360 degree zipper provides a secure coupling between the limb covering components of the wet suit, the inherent inelasticity of the two opposing strips of intermeshing teeth that form such zippers interferes with the ability of the wet suit to stretch at the joint areas, which in turn obstructs the ability of the wet suit to conform to the body shape of the wearer. Hence many wearers of the full size version of such wet suits may have difficulty putting on the wet suit due to the loss of flexibility in the joint areas caused by the zippers. Additionally a muscular person may experience an uncomfortable pressure around the joints of the wet suit. Conversely, a thinner person may experience an uncomfortable amount of slack area around the joints of the wet suit which in turn might promote the accumulation of too much water in the joint areas, thereby chilling the wearer.
While the second prior art joint design that utilizes longitudinally-oriented zippers can successfully maintain elasticity in the joint areas if the coupling portions are made from, for example, neoprene, the full size version of such a suit must be assembled over the body of the user. The resulting necessity of pulling each long sleeve and legging over each arm and leg of the user and positioning the coupling portions so that they overlap with the end portions of the short sleeves and legs is a troublesome and time consuming operation for the wearer as the user must remove or put on five pieces of the suit instead of one single suit. Additionally, the resulting overlapping coupling is less secure than the 360 degree zipper type joint and is therefore prone to leakage and being inadvertently pulled apart. If the coupling portions are made of a more rigid material to obviate the need for the wearer to assemble the full size suit over his own body, the elasticity of the resulting joints is substantially reduced, creating the same problems as the previously discussed convertible wet suit utilizing 360 degree zippers.
Clearly, what is needed is a convertible wet suit having a joint structure which provides a secure coupling between the components of the wet suit while maintaining the elasticity of the suit in the joint areas. Ideally, such a joint structure should allow the wearer to easily and quickly convert the suit from a short suit to a long suit, and vice versa, without the need for assembling the full size suit on his own body. Finally, such a joint structure should effectively discourage leakage of ambient water into the suit so that the warming characteristics of the suit are not compromised.